Can You Gain Weight while You Fast?

Individuals who are curious about the Eat Stop Eat plan often ask whether it’s possible to gain weight while fasting.

The answer is yes.

Fasting is not magic, although it is a very effective way to create a calorie deficit and lose body fat.

Let’s say you’ve been gaining weight for the last couple months, and, through several scientific methods, we determined that you have been overeating by about 30%, which means you’re eating 30% more calories than you actually need to maintain your weight.

Because you’ve been gaining weight, you decide that it’s finally time to try the “Eat Stop Eat” diet that everyone else is talking about.

You fast twice a week, every week, for seven weeks – but in the end, you learn that you gained two pounds.

How could this be? Is Brad Pilon a liar? Is it a waste of time to fast? Is your metabolism ruined?

The answer is probably very simple.

The fasting might have actually worked incredibly well for you. The two fasts per week might have reduced the amount of calories you consume in a week by 22%. That’s a big drop, but it just isn’t enough.

If you had been overeating by 30%, a 22% decrease still means you’re eating about 8% more than you need to eat.

Fasting won’t work magic for you. The need to eat responsibly remains. You don’t have to avoid sugar or dairy products. You don’t even need to eat healthy (although it’s good to get a good variety of foods). In order to lose weight, you simply need to eat less.

Small changes are important.

Examine your diet and find small changes you could make that will cause big results. A few small changes should get you back into a caloric deficit and help you drop pounds.

It’s very easy to overeat. Some people overeat by thousands of calories every day. If fasting isn’t getting you the results you want, try studying the way you eat when you’re not fasting.